This workshop focuses on managing the first couples therapy session—often the most critical. It covers how to establish a working alliance with partners who may be ambivalent, reactive, or have conflicting goals. Key strategies include assertive leadership, empathic engagement, and structured techniques like discernment counseling. Topics include assessing prior therapy, clarifying desired outcomes, and identifying the couple’s relational patterns to set the stage for effective, goal-oriented work.
This panel addresses core ethical issues in psychotherapy, including avoiding harm, respecting autonomy, and ensuring informed consent. Topics include the ethics of involuntary treatment, dual relationships, licensing, and the use of diagnoses for insurance. The importance of voluntary participation and evolving ethical standards is also emphasized.
Moderated by Bill O'Hanlon, MS.
